1. Field
The embodiments discussed herein are related to a line monitoring apparatus and a line monitoring method, which monitor the state of a line transmitting a signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A redundant set is configured with a plurality of lines in a communication system in which high reliability is required. When a line monitoring apparatus for monitoring the state of a line detects an abnormality in a line that is in use, the line monitoring apparatus uses, instead of the line in use, a standby line belonging to the same redundant set as the line in use in which the abnormality occurred. In this way the down time can be shortened.
A hardware interrupt may be used for a process in which a state change in the line is detected by the line monitoring apparatus. The hardware interrupt may be used in order for the process to cope with the state change to be performed with high priority by the line monitoring apparatus, when a state change in the line is detected by the line monitoring apparatus. When a detector detects the state change in the line, the detector supplies an interrupt signal to the line monitoring apparatus, so as to thereby enable the line monitoring apparatus to promptly detect the state change in the line.
Related techniques are described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 05-300195.